


Help Me Remember

by ficklefangirl



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Amnesia, Amnesia AU, Cat Noir - Freeform, Fandom, Ladybug - Freeform, Marinette - Freeform, Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Ship, Shipping, catnoir, chat noir - Freeform, chatnoir - Freeform, marinettedupain-cheng, marinettedupaincheng, miraculous - Freeform, miraculousladybug, nathanette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-09-26 04:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9863732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficklefangirl/pseuds/ficklefangirl
Summary: Your name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You’re 15 years old. Your parents are named Tom and Sabine, and they own a bakery. You love to design fashion, and you’re amazing at it. You’re always late to everything. You’re really friendly to everyone you meet. You’re brave. You care about everyone. You like Jagged Stone’s music. Your best friend is Alya. You love the color pink. You’re kind and sweet and creative and clumsy and…you’re one of the best people I know.In a battle against an akumatized villain, Ladybug is injured and has lost her memory. She can't remember being Ladybug or even her own name! Adrien Agreste, also Chat Noir, will do whatever he can to save his lady's memory and bring her back. However, a certain tomato-haired boy has the same idea. Between Nathanael and Adrien, can Marinette's memory be returned? And when Marinette can't remember either of them, which one can win over her heart?





	1. Chapter 1

“Ladybug!” Chat Noir yelled after his teammate. “Come back! It’s a trap!” But the red-costumed girl was gone. Chat Noir broke into a sprint, desperate to catch up. Ladybug was so stubborn. He loved that about her, but in cases like this, that attitude could get her in trouble…or hurt. Chat ran, and arrived just in time to see the villain hit Ladybug with a white ray of light. She screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground, dropping the small object that she’d held in her hand.  
“No!” Chat cried in anguish. The villain turned her head. She snorted with laughter and aimed at Chat. He leapt down, pouncing on her and removing her headband, where he believed the akuma to be hidden. He ran towards Ladybug, and snatched the yoyo from her hand. This had better work, Chat thought before snapping the headband in half. Sure enough, a black-and-purple butterfly fluttered from the break in the headband. Chat grasped the yoyo and purified the akuma. Surprisingly, it worked. He awkwardly yelled out, “Miraculous Ladybug!” after picking up Ladybug’s Lucky Charm object ( a small bungee cord) and throwing it into the air. Miraculously, it worked. Swarms of magical Ladybugs flew throughout Paris and repaired the damage left by the angry, ruinous supervillain, whose disguise faded away. Chat knelt near Ladybug.  
“Ladybug,” he whispered. “Ladybug, wake up, wake up!” The heroine didn’t move. Chat tried to whisper calmly and keep his cool, but he was panicking. His heart beat quicker than an akuma’s wings, and the world seemed to blur. His mouth was dry as he whispered again. “Ladybug!” There was no sign of consciousness from the girl. “My lady, please!” Chat sobbed, holding his partner’s hand to his chest. “Please, I love you! I need you! Wake up, wake up!” He broke down, hugging his partner close to him, wailing miserably,   
The girl who had been akumatized ran over to the heroes. “Chat Noir! What happened? I think I got akumatized, but is Ladybug okay?” Chat ignored her, too afraid to pay attention to anything else. Something was wrong with his lady. The girl began to cry. She grabbed Ladybug’s wrist.   
“Chat Noir, look!” the girl gasped. “She has a pulse! She’s still alive!”  
Chat leapt up, a ray of hope shining inside of him immediately. He too grabbed Ladybug’s wrist, feeling a steady beat. “You’re right!” He said to the girl. He looked down lovingly at Ladybug’s face. She was beautiful, even with the bloody scrape on her cheek. “Don’t worry, Ladybug. We’ll get help.” He turned to the girl. “Thank you.”  
The black-clad hero lifted Ladybug into his arms. He slipped behind a building and paused. Ladybug’s earrings beeped, signifying that she was about to revert back to her civilian form. Glowing pink light surrounded Ladybug, and she detransformed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chat Noir recognized the girl’s face immediately. He’d seen it so many times. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, his friend from school. The sweet girl who stood up for everyone, no matter who they were or what the situation was. Sweet. Kind. Brave. Clumsy. Creative. Adorable. Always running late. The girl behind the mask. The love of his life. 

Chat’s tears dripped down his face and landed onto hers. 

“Marinette,” he cried. “I’m so glad it’s you.” His voice cracked with emotion. He kissed her cheek and lifted her up. He stared sadly at her face. He’d wanted to find out who Ladybug really was for so long. But not like this.

Gathering all of his strength, he rushed to the hospital. He breathed deeply, stopping the flow of tears. 

Once in the emergency room, he told the nearest authority that Marinette needed immediate help.

“This girl was hurt in the akuma attack.” He explained. “It’s been awhile, and she still hasn’t woken up. I don’t know what’s wrong.” 

Once they’d gotten Mari in a hospital room, Chat Noir checked the time. 5:30. His father was expecting him home before 6. He had time for one more stop, right? He detransformed and nonchalantly strolled out of the hospital. Once he was out the door, he made a run for the Dupain-Cheng bakery. 

Adrien opened the bakery door and was immediately enveloped in the warm aroma of freshly baked croissants and cookies. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent. It smelled so good. His stomach rumbled. He opened his eyes and saw Marinette’s mother walking forward to greet him.

“Adrien!” Sabine smiled kindly. “What a pleasant surprise! Marinette isn’t here right now; do you need something?”  
Adrien faked a smile. “Actually, I was hoping that I could talk to you and your husband for just a moment.”

“Oh, of course!” Sabine gestured for Adrien to follow her. She led him into the bakery’s kitchen, where Tom was pulling a tray of croissants out of the oven.  
“Tom, honey, Adrien wanted to see us for a minute.” Sabine announced. 

“Sure!” Tom grinned and they all sat at a small table. “Croissant?” Tom held out the tray. “Careful. They’re hot.”

Adrien gladly took one. “Thanks, Mr. Dupain-Cheng! Surely his father wouldn’t mind if he just had one little croissant. He paused for a moment. Well, actually he would care. But he wouldn’t know. Adrien smiled. What his father didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. 

“Now,” Sabine asked as she took a croissant, “what were you wanting to talk to us about?”

Adrien frowned as he remembered what his purpose was in coming to the bakery. “I have some bad news. I’m sure you know about the akuma attack that happened earlier today?”  
“Yes?” Tom replied, obviously concerned.

“Well…” Adrien had suddenly lost his appetite. “Marinette’s been hurt. She’s in the hospital.” Adrien tried to contain his tears. 

Tom jumped up out of his chair, and Sabine grabbed his arm. “What?” he cried out. “What’s wrong with her?”

Adrien stared down at the flaky, buttery layers of his uneaten croissant. “I don’t know. Apparently, Chat Noir found her unconscious and brought her in. They don’t know yet if anything is wrong. She might be okay.”

Sabine stood up and pushed her chair in. “Thank you so much for stopping by and letting us know.”

“Of course.” The baker and his wife began to make their way to the door. “Wait.” Adrien grabbed Tom’s arm. “Could you call me and let me know if there are any updates?” He held out a business card with his number on it. 

Tom pocketed the card. “Yes. Thank you so much.”

The couple rushed out the door, in a hurry to get to the hospital. 

Adrien had already texted Nathalie and she and Gorilla were waiting in the limo outside of the bakery.

“You’re late.” His father’s assistant said sternly. “Your father is going to be very upset.”

Adrien sighed. “I know.” Adrien stared at his hands. His stomach rumbled, and he recalled with regret that he’d left his croissant behind. He hadn’t been able to take a single bite. As if his day hadn’t been terrible enough…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys :) sorry the formatting stinks. I can't figure out how to indent? I'm still kinda new to archive and it seems I'm having some difficulty haha. Any help is appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette opened her bright blue eyes and sat up, confused. Where was she? Almost everything around her was white and sterile. She furrowed her brow, and then a blur of red in her peripheral vision caught her attention. She turned towards it.

            An unfamiliar boy. Tomato-colored hair, purple socks and slacks, blue-green eyes. He was focused on an open sketchbook that lay in his lap.

            “Hello?” Marinette asked timidly. Her voice sounded strange as it broke the silence of the quiet room.

            The boy jumped up, snapping his book shut. “Marinette! You’re awake! How do you feel?”

            He held out a vase filled with pink roses. His face flushed red. “Th-these are for you.” He placed them on the table by her bed.

            “I feel…empty. And dizzy. Where am I?” Marinette asked, struggling to explain how she felt or what was happening.

            “You-you’re in the hospital, Marinette. There was an akuma attack. You got hurt, and Chat Noir found you and brought you here.” The boy explained gently. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

            “Oh.” Marinette felt lost. Nothing the boy had just said made any sense to her at all. The words were strange and meaningless. Akuma? Chat Noir? Marinette? She assumed the latter was her name. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to think. She gave up and turned back to the boy. “Who are you? A-and…who am I?” She asked quietly.

            The boy furrowed his brows. “What?”

            Marinette’s eyes filled with tears as she spoke. “I don’t remember anything. Who you are, how I got here, what’s going on, or even who I am.” Her voice broke, and she whispered, “I’m scared.”

            The boy stared for a moment, before realization set into his face. He frowned. “You’re serious. You really don’t remember anything, do you?”

            Marinette shook her head, letting the tears fall down her face. There was a sad silence, and then the boy approached Marinette, holding both of her hands.

            “I’m Nathanaël.” He smiled. “Your name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You’re 15 years old. Your parents are named Tom and Sabine, and they own a bakery. You love to design fashion, and you’re amazing at it. You’re always late to everything. You’re really friendly to everyone you meet. You’re brave. You care about everyone. You like Jagged Stone’s music. Your best friend is Alya. You love the color pink. You’re kind and sweet and creative and clumsy and…you’re one of the best people I know.”

            Marinette stared into Nathanaël’s eyes. She didn’t know who he was, but his eyes were full of sincerity. “I can’t remember if any of that is true…but I trust you.”

            Nathanaël held Marinette’s hands tighter and looked right into her eyes. “Let me help you remember.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY FIGURED OUT THE FORMATTING!! Let me know what you think! :D


	4. Chapter 4

“Amnesia? Are you sure?” Adrien almost yelled. He was on the phone with Marinette’s parents.

            “I wish we could say we were joking, but it’s true. She can’t remember a thing. It’s terrible.” Sabine lamented.

            “But at least it’s just amnesia. There are worse things that could have happened. We’re very lucky that she’s alive and physically unharmed.” Tom replied.

            “When can I visit?” Adrien asked, running a hand through his hair as he spoke.  He _had_ to see her. It hurt knowing that his lady might not even know who he was. He needed to see her. Maybe he could refresh her memory.

            “You can come anytime you want, dear.” Sabine said.

            “Great. I’m on my way.” Adrien hung up the phone and pulled on a jacket. He jogged to the nearest flower shop, searching for the perfect flowers for Marinette. He spotted a gorgeous bouquet of red and pink roses. Marinette loved pink, and the red reminded him of Ladybug; maybe it could do the same for her. Adrien bought it and rushed to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

            He opened the door. It was warm inside, and smelled like baked goods.

            “Hello, Adrien.” Sabine smiled, although her eyes were sad. “Marinette’s upstairs. You can go right up.”

            “Thank you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.” Adrien called out as he climbed the two sets of stairs to Marinette’s room. He knocked on the door before tentatively opening it. “Hey, Marinette, you up here?” If she was there, she didn’t hear him. The room was completely silent.

            Adrien took a look around the room. Everything was as pink as he remembered it, but there was something he hadn’t noticed before: the walls were plastered with pictures. Pictures of…him? Clippings from fashion magazines filled every space on the wall. Adrien melted a bit inside. Had Marinette…been in love with him all along? He was both happy and sad at the same time. Ladybug, the love of his life, loved him back. But they’d spent all this time apart when they could have been happily together. And now their chances of that were gone. She didn’t even remember him. Adrien’s heart hurt. _I’m not giving up that easily._ He decided. _We’ll be together soon. I promise._

“Mari?” Adrien spoke louder this time, but there was still no response. He looked around. Where could she be? He spotted her across the room, lying face-up on the ground. He gasped and hurried towards her.

            “Marinette, are you okay?” he gasped, watching her vacant expression.

            “I’m fine.” The girl mumbled. She was in her pajamas, and her hair was left down and messy.

            Adrien sighed in relief. “You scared me for a minute there, m’lady.” He winked and grabbed her hand, helping her sit up. He sat next to her on the floor. He held out the roses and flashed a charming grin. “These are for you.”

            Marinette took the roses. “Thank you.”

            “So what were you doing laying on the ground?” Adrien asked. “Are you feeling okay?”

            “Not really.” Marinette fiddled with the sparkling silver ribbon that was tied around the elegant bouquet. “I know that if I do some searching through my room and read my old messages or journals, I might be able to remember something. Or at least learn some stuff. But there’s just so much. It’s overwhelming. I have no idea where to start.” She sighed and there was a silence before she looked up to face the blonde model. “Your face is all over my walls. Are we friends?”

            Adrien didn’t quite know what to say. He wished he could mention their superhero partnership, and how they worked so well as a strong team, good friends, how he loved her so much, and everything they’d been through. But telling her that she was a superhero was probably too much to take in for someone who’d just lost their memory and couldn’t even remember one identity, let alone another.

            “Well…” he said quietly. “We… you-you had a crush on me, I think.”

            Marinette blushed. “Oh. Did I? Well then… I’m sorry you had to see all of those pictures. That’s pretty creepy.”

            Adrien stuttered nervously. “No, no, it’s fine. I, uh… I liked you back.” Liked. The past tense bothered Adrien, but he knew it would only grow more awkward if he confessed that he still liked her. Not liked, but loved. He hated having to repress his emotions like this. But it was best to take things slowly. He didn’t want to overwhelm her any more than she already was.

            “Oh.” Marinette turned her attention back to the flowers she held in her hand. She rubbed a red petal between her delicate fingers. “Were we-“

            “No,” Adrien said sadly. “Neither of us really knew about how the other felt. I wish we had though.” There was another silence. “Let’s start over.” Adrien held out a hand. “I’m Adrien Agreste. I’m a fashion model, I like croissants, I fence, play the piano, and speak Chinese. It’s nice to meet you.”

            Mari giggled and shook his hand. “Hi, Adrien. I’m Marinette. I don’t really know anything about myself, but it’s nice to meet you too.”

            Adrien grinned. “Hold on.” He pulled two rubber bands out of his pocket. “Do you have a hairbrush?”


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette stood up and stood up and set the roses on the nearest surface. “Yes, just a second.” She rifled through the drawers in her vanity. “There’s probably one somewhere.” Finally, she discovered a pink hairbrush. She handed it to Adrien.

            Adrien took it. “Great. Sit down.”

            Confused, Marinette sat back down on the floor.

            Adrien gently ran the brush through Marinette’s blue-black hair. It was silky-soft and smelled amazing. He carefully tied it back into two pigtails.

            “Done.” Adrien pulled Marinette to her feet. “Take a look in the mirror. I think I did a _purr_ ity good job, if I do say so myself. Adrien knew that his puns wouldn’t help her memory at all, but he still hoped.

            Marinette looked in the mirror, fluffing one of the pigtails. “I like it. It feels…right, somehow.”

            Adrien smiled. “Trust me, Princess. It looks right too.” His heart ached. She was beautiful.

            Marinette turned to face Adrien, and he put both of his hands on her shoulders. “Marinette, I’m about to say something that’s very important.” Adrien brushed his fingers against Marinette’s earlobe. “These earrings? They’re special. It’s really important that you never take them out. I’m not going to explain why today, because it’s kind of a lot to take in. You’ll find out soon enough. But for now, please just trust me. Keep those earrings in. Could you please do that? For me?”

            Marinette furrowed her brows in confusion. “Yeah, I think-”

            Suddenly, the trapdoor to Mari’s room banged open and Alya Césaire burst in, yelling, “Mari? Marinette, are you up here?” She spotted her friend across the room and hugged her tightly, entirely ignoring Adrien.

            “Mari,” she sobbed. “Is it really true?”

            Marinette reluctantly wrapped her arms around the crying girl. “You’re Alya, right?”

            Alya took a step back. “Yes! Do you remember me?”

            “No,” Marinette admitted shamefully. “Nathanaël mentioned you the other day and said that you and I were best friends. I just kind of assumed it was you.”

            “Oh.” Alya wiped the tears off of her face. “Well,-”

            “Wait, _Nathanaël?_ ” Adrien raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms.

            “Uh… yeah. You know, the artsy red-headed one? He was in the hospital when I woke up and he helped me understand some stuff.” Marinette said, unable to read her friends’ expressions. “And speaking of whom, he’s supposed to be here in half an hour.” Marinette said awkwardly.

            Adrien glowered. “Well then. Looks like it’s time for me to bug out. My father’s expecting me home. Have a good day.” He left through the trapdoor, scowling.

            Adrien tromped down the stairs. It was easy to see what was happening. That tomato-head was trying to steal Marinette’s heart! He clearly saw her memory loss as a fresh chance to try for her affection. That was low. He was surprised that Nathanaël hadn’t just straight up introduced himself to Marinette as her boyfriend. He’d probably considered it, but known that no one else would believe him.

            Adrien waved to Marinette’s parents on his way out the door. He’d make sure that he got his Lady back, no matter what it took. And no tomato boy was going to stop him.


	6. Chapter 6

            Marinette watched the trapdoor close behind Adrien. “He seemed mad. Did I do something wrong?”

            “I don’t know.” Alya stared at the closed door thoughtfully. “What happened before I got here?”

            “Nothing much.” Marinette shrugged. “He did my hair, introduced himself, and… apparently I had a crush on him. He said he liked me back, too.”

            “He _WHAT?_ ” Alya screeched. Then she laughed. “Girl, if you remembered any of this, you’d be totally freaking out right now.” She put an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “If he really does like you, he probably left because he’s a little bit jealous of Nath. Don’t worry about it. Now, you’ve got 20 minutes until he gets here, so you’d better get dressed.”

 

 

Marinette looked down at her outfit. Pink capris, pink flats, a white shirt with pink flowers, and a grey blazer with pink-spotted trim. She slung a round pink purse over her shoulder.

            “That’s a whole lot of pink.” Mariette stated. “But I like it.”

            Alya smiled. “Yeah. You want me to do your makeup?”

            Marinette shrugged. “Sure. I don’t know where it is though.”

            Alya walked to the vanity and returned with a pink pouch. “That’s okay; I do.” While she carefully applied a small amount of makeup to her friend’s face, she told her all about the day they’d met.

            “First day of the new school year, and my first day at our school. Chloé was in the seat you usually sat in.  I called her out, but it didn’t work. We sat together up front and shared a cookie. That’s the day Ladybug and Chat Noir first appeared. The next day at school, we reclaimed your seat and made a statement: Chloé’s reign of terror was officially over.” Alya closed the makeup bag. “There. All done.”

            “Yeah, but who’s Chloé? Who are Ladybug and Chat Noir? I’ve heard a little bit about them, but not enough. I’m still a little bit lost.”

            Alya grinned. “You’ve come to the right person. I consider myself an expert on Ladybug and Chat Noir. I run the LadyBlog, a blog all about them! I’ll teach you all there is to know about them.”

            A knock sounded on the trapdoor.

            “Come in!” Marinette called.

            Nathanaël’s red-topped head popped up. “Hey, Marinette. Hey, Alya. Nice seeing you here. Ready to go, Mari?”

            Marinette nodded, and the three walked down to the bakery, parting ways once they’d reached the sidewalk. “Lead the way.” Marinette smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a lovely evening in Paris. The clouds were puffy and low, and the setting sun tinted them with pastel shades of pink, yellow, and orange. The air was cool, but it wasn’t cold. Perfect.

“So, how has your day been? Nathanaël asked timidly, his hands in his pockets.

“Fine.” Marinette responded. “I didn’t really do much. You?”

            “It was all right, I suppose. I did some artwork and that’s about it.” Nathanaël held the restaurant door open for Marinette. They had arrived at a small pasta restaurant. They sat down at a round table and ordered.

            “So… can I see some of your drawings?” Marinette asked while they waited for their meals.

            “Uh… s-sure!” Nathanaël’s face turned a shade of red that almost exactly matched his hair as he began frantically flipping through his sketchbook. He’d love to show Marinette some of his work, but the problem was that most of the drawings were of her. He finally found a few that were different.

            “This one is just a sketch of a bracelet I saw. I thought it’d be cool to try and draw.” He shrugged and handed the page to Marinette.

            “Oh, cool!” she said. “It looks great.”

            He flipped through and found some illustrations of Ladybug and Chat Noir. They were well-drawn and perfectly colored. He’d spent many hours creating them. He passed the book to Mari.

            “Ladybug and Chat Noir.” He smiled proudly.

            Marinette looked through the illustrations of the heroes. A girl in a red and black spotted suit with a blonde boy in a black suit and cat ears, leaping from a building. A close up of their hands, doing a fist bump, with the background of the city of Paris at night, the lights seeming to actually glow on the page. The two of them brandishing their weapons, a staff and a yoyo. Chat Noir kissing Ladybug’s hand, a look of surprise and annoyance on the latter’s face. The two of them smiling for a camera. Finally, a kiss between the two.

            The drawings stirred something inside of Marinette. An unidentifiable feeling that felt familiar and warm. A memory tugged at her brain, struggling to form. She tried to remember, but the thought was just barely out of her reach.

            “These look amazing.” Marinette said in awe. “You’re really talented.”

            Nathanaël blushed harder, his face now even redder than his hair. “Really? Thank you.” The food arrived and Nath paused after a few bites of his Alfredo pasta. “They saved my life several times, you know. You even helped them save me once, when I was akumatized.”

            “Really?” Marinette set down her fork. “Huh. So could you tell me more about them?”

            Nathanaël pulled out a few loose pieces of paper. One of them was a painting of a butterfly. One side of the insect was pure white, and the other was black and purple.

            “This is an akuma.” He said. “If someone is feeling a negative emotion, such as sadness or anger, a villain called Hawkmoth sends one of them.” Nath pointed to the dark side of the butterfly. “They’re sent to the person, who becomes a supervillain. We call this being akumatized.” Nathanaël flipped back to the Ladybug and Chat Noir drawings. “Chat Noir has a ‘cataclysm’ superpower. It allows him to touch an object and destroy it. Ladybug has a ‘lucky charm’ power where she is given a common object that she uses to help her somehow. She purifies the akuma.” Nathanaël gestured to the white half of the butterfly painting. “That’s about it.”

            Marinette felt strange, but was unable to describe the way she felt or why. “But…who are they really? Under the masks?

            Nathanaël closed his sketchbook. “That’s the thing: nobody knows.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, an update!!!111!!!! Hope you enjoy ;)


	8. Chapter 8

“As far as I can tell, it’s not going very well so far.” A voice whispered. It continued to speak, but its words were quieter and less understandable now.

            Adrien sat up in bed, rubbing his tired green eyes. Glancing over at his alarm clock, he noted that it was 2:30 in the morning, and he thought he was hearing voices. One of them sounded like Plagg, but the other was high, airy, and unfamiliar.

            _I swear, Plagg, if you’re trying to order 50 pounds of Camembert over the phone again, you’re dead. You hear me? Dead!_ Adrien thought to himself as he tiptoed out of bed. Eventually, he located the source of the voices. One was definitely Plagg, but there was another shape that was roughly the same size.

            “Plagg.” Adrien said firmly. Both shapes turned around, gasping. The unfamiliar one ducked behind the nearest object.

            “Ah, Adrien!” Plagg faked innocence. “I was just having a midnight snack! Why are you awake?”

            “I heard you talking to someone.” Adrien crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.

            “Oh, yeah.” Plagg laughed nervously. “I was just uh… talking to my uh…my Camembert.”

            The other shape emerged from where it was hiding. “Plagg, just tell him the truth.” It said in a small voice.

            “Fine.” Plagg sighed and switched on a desk lamp. He gestured to a red-and-black creature. “Adrien, this is Tikki. She’s Ladybug’s kwami.”

            “Hi!” Tikki smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

            Adrien looked at the two adorable kwamis. “Hi, Tikki. It’s nice to meet you, too.” He sat down in a chair, unsure what was happening. But if whatever it was involved Ladybug, he was in. “So what’s going on?”

            Tikki sighed sadly. “First of all, I hope you don’t mind my being here, but when Ladybug got hurt, I followed you home. If I went with her, I’d be found, either by her parents or some stranger or even by her, which could be a problem in her current state. She doesn’t remember me. It would be a lot for her to take in right now for a magical, flying, talking creature to show up out of nowhere and tell her she’s a superhero. I’ve been here for the last few days.”

            Adrien nodded. “I agree. Marinette can’t take this right now. You can stay here for now. So, what’s the plan? Are you guys talking about restoring her memory?” Adrien furrowed his brow and stared down at the ground. “I’ve tried a few things, but nothing too extreme. I bought her red and pink roses, put her hair in pigtails for her, called her ‘m’lady’, and I’ve been making cat puns like crazy in the hopes of sparking some memories.” He glanced back up at Tikki and Plagg. “But so far, it hasn’t made any difference.”

“Well, I’ve been watching you and Marinette.” Plagg explained. “We’re going to give her a few more days and see if she can remember anything on her own first. Some things are just a matter of time.”

            “But when it comes to time, we don't have very much of it as long as Hawkmoth is still around. So we can only give her a few days before we step in. And if nothing happens by then,” Tikki continued, “I’ll go introduce myself to her anyway. Paris can’t go on much longer without Ladybug. So I’ll explain things to Marinette as best as I can. She’ll be Ladybug again. But you’ll have to help her. She won’t remember what to do. But I'm sure that even with her amnesia, she'll get the hang of being a superhero pretty quickly. What she needs to know is that she can't just be simply replaced. It's not easy to choose someone else. She was chosen to be Ladybug for a reason. She still has it in her, whether she remembers it or not.”


	9. Chapter 9

Marinette reluctantly woke up the next morning and slowly got ready for school, taking the time to make sure her hair was pulled back neatly into pigtails. It would be her first day back since the accident. She didn’t have any idea what it would be like, and she was nervous beyond belief. She was reassured only by the fact that Nathanaël, Adrien, and Alya would be there by her side.

            Alya came up through the trap door, smiling encouragingly. “You ready?” She asked.

            Marinette nervously smoothed her hair down and straightened the collar of her blazer. “I guess I’m as ready as I can be. Let’s go.”

            The two girls left for school, both grabbing freshly baked apple turnovers and yelling goodbye to the Dupain-Chengs on their way out the door. Marinette took a bite of the warm, buttery, flaky pastry and savored the sweet, hot apple filling that oozed into her mouth. She glanced over at Alya, who was doing the same and moaning in delight.

            Soon they arrived outside of the school, both licking the sticky crumbs off of their fingers. Before going in, Alya put her hands on Marinette’s shoulders.

            “I almost forgot. Chloé. Long blonde hair, obviously rich, super snobby. She’s a jerk. She is going to be mean to you. She always is; it’s nothing personal. Don’t let it get to you. You didn’t do anything wrong; she just enjoys being rude to everyone else. I repeat once again: Do not let it get to you. Negative emotions only make her stronger.” Alya emphasized, looking into Marinette’s eyes. “You got that?”

            Marinette nodded. “Y-yeah. Got it.”

            Whispers surrounded Marinette, but the look on Alya’s face kept everyone from asking about it. Alya was a great friend, and wasn’t going to let anyone mess with her forgetful bestie.

            “Hey, Mari!” Nathanaël jogged towards Alya and Marinette. “Hi, Alya.” The boy fell into step next to the pink-clad girl. “How are you doing?”  
            “Great.” Marinette smiled. “I still don’t remember anything, but I can manage myself. I’m ready for today.”

            Nathanaël smiled a toothy smile. “I’m so glad to hear that.” His face was nearly the same shade of red as his hair as the girl of his dreams smiled right back.

            The trio was interrupted by a mocking laugh. “Are Marinette and Nathanaël a ‘thing’ now?” A girl in a yellow cardigan and striped shirt smirked. “How _lame_. Two losers in love. Disgusting. Well, at least you’re not hopelessly crushing on _my_ boyfriend anymore. Adrien and I can finally be a couple without _you_ butting into _our_ business all the time. Oh wait, you don’t even know who Adrien _is_ anymore, do you? I heard you can’t even remember your own name. What a mess.” The girl, presumably Chloé, cackled a high-pitched laugh. A girl with glasses and shoulder-length red hair laughed along with her.

            Marinette was shocked. The cold words pierced her heart with hurt. What had she ever done to this girl to deserve to be treated this way? But…she was right. She was a mess. She stared down at the ground.

            “Hey!” Nathanaël growled. “What’s up with you? Marinette doesn’t deserve to be treated this way! She never did anything wrong. You think that you can just make fun of a person for something they can’t control? Not to mention that your statement is completely false. Marinette can handle herself just fine.”

            Marinette grew even more appalled. She glanced up at the ginger boy who stood bravely in front of her. Nathanaël would stand up for her like that?

            “If she can manage herself on her own, then why are _you_ the one standing up for her? Chloé said smugly.

            “Because that’s what any decent person would do for someone they care about.” Nathanaël replied, glancing at Marinette momentarily and smiling. His eyes softened and his voice was gentle. “Marinette, don’t listen to her. Nothing she’s saying is true. You’re amazing in every single way possible.” He reached for Marinette’s hand and looked into her beautiful blue eyes.

            Marinette blushed, not sure whether or not she should hold his hand. His elegant artist’s fingers held her hand loosely, giving her a choice. She didn’t know what to do.  “Thank you, Nathanaël, I don’t-”

            “Aww, how sweet.” Chloé sneered sarcastically.

            Adrien walked into the room and stopped in his tracks, taking in the tense scene. “Ummm…. What’s going on in here?” He raised his eyebrows.

            Alya turned and answered before anyone else got the chance to open their mouths. “Miss Bourgeois here is just being a little mouthy.”

            “Chloé?” Adrien crossed his arms at the blonde brat.

            “What? You’re not really taking _her_ side, are you? I mean, just look at her.” Chloé scoffed.

            “Actually,” Adrien took a step back and put an arm around Marinette. “I am.”

            Chloé’s mouth dropped. “Seriously? But-”

            “Hey!” Nathanaël glowered at Adrien, pure poison in his eyes. He gestured to Adrien’s arm around Marinette. “What gives?”

            “What?” Adrien glared back defensively. “Do you not-”

            The quarrelling was interrupted by a loud scream and a crash.


	10. Chapter 10

“Everyone get under the desks!” Adrien yelled. “I’m going to go check it out.” He turned and grabbed Marinette’s hand. “Come with me.”

            “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Nathanaël shouted, reaching for Marinette’s other arm. “Marinette’s safer here!”

            “No, she’s not.” Adrien said firmly. “Trust me on this one. You’ll all be safe here, but Marinette won’t be. Stay where you are. _Please._ ”

“Adrien Agreste, I swear, if _anything_ happens to my best friend, I’m going to chop off your head and-” Alya yelled, interrupted by Adrien.

“Alya, please calm down. Marinette is going to be perfectly safe and so are you. I guarantee it.”

He grabbed Marinette’s arm and led her to a large janitorial closet.

            Marinette was panicking. “What’s happening?” she cried.

            Adrien placed both hands on her shoulders. “Calm down. I’ll be right back.” Adrien ran off, leaving the blue-haired girl in complete confusion and terror.

*        *        *

            “So, what’s the plan?” Adrien hid in the locker room and let Tikki and Plagg out of his bag.

            “There isn’t one. Just get her transformed. It’s the only choice we have. Just teach her as she goes along.” Tikki said urgently.

            Adrien nodded and transformed into Chat Noir before leading Tikki back to the closet.

            “Marinette,” Chat Noir said calmly. “Don’t panic. I know this is a lot to take in, but…”

            “Wait, aren’t you Chat Noir?” Marinette asked the blonde boy who wore a cat-like costume.

            “Huh? Oh, I…” Chat took a deep breath, then flashed a charming grin. “Yeah, that’s me. Now, back to business. This is Tikki.”

            A red flying creature barely bigger than Marinette’s fist appeared. Mari squealed and jumped back, knocking over a broom in the small closet.

            “What in the world is _THAT_?!” she yelped.

            “I’m Tikki.” The creature said gently. “Please calm down. I’m a kwami. Basically, I’m the source of your superpowers.”

            “What?” Marinette stared at the two like they were crazy. Her blue eyes were panicked.

            “Marinette,” Chat Noir said quietly. “You’re Ladybug. I know you don’t remember, but please just trust us. You still have it in you. Those earrings you’re wearing? They’re a Miraculous. The source of your superpowers. You just need to say, ‘Tikki, transform me’.”

“I… I don’t think…”

Chat Noir was engulfed in green light and Adrien Agreste stood in his place. “Do you trust me?”

            Marinette gasped. “What?! I-you-”

            “Yeah. It’s me.” Adrien said softly, slipping a small chunk of incredibly smelly cheese into his shirt pocket.

            “Mmmmm Camembert. Adrien, that was a pointless transformation. You’re just wasting my energy for no reason.”

            Adrien rolled his eyes. “My kwami, Plagg. He’s a pest.” He grinned again and yelled, “Plagg, transform me!” and was Chat Noir once again. He smiled. A crash came from somewhere in the building. His smile dropped. His green eyes filled with emotion as he held Marinette’s hands and said, “Please try. You’re our only hope.”

            Marinette, still thoroughly confused, nodded tentatively. “None of this makes sense. I… I don’t think I could be a superhero. I don’t even know who _I_ am. I doubt I can pretend to be someone else too.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then exhaled slowly. “But if someone needs help, I’ll do it. I trust you.”  
            Adrien smiled softly. _His_ Marinette was finally starting to come back.

Marinette took a deep breath and said, “Tikki, transform me!” Within seconds, she found herself dressed in a red and black spotted supersuit exactly like the one she’d seen in Nathanaël’s drawings. Something felt…right about it. She felt energized and confident, and the suit fit perfectly. It all felt familiar, somehow. She smiled and looked up into Chat Noir’s vibrant green eyes.

            “Long time no see, M’Lady.” Chat winked and took her hand. “Shall we?”


	11. Chapter 11

Ladybug ran alongside Chat Noir on the tops of buildings, letting wind whip through her hair. She felt so free, leaping from roof to roof. Unbelievably, she felt no fear. It all felt natural; she didn’t hesitate before jumping. She just went with it.

            “So here’s what’s up: the yoyo is your weapon. Use it. It seems weird, but it works. You can do just about anything with it. I think you’ll get the hang of it in no time; you’re a natural. Now, this villain seems to be able to control any metal and use it to make robots. You need to take the remote control from him. It’s his weapon and source of power. Break it. The akuma’s in there. We’ll figure out what to do after that once we get to it, but basically you’ll be purifying it and making sure it won’t do any more evil. It’ll become a harmless white butterfly. Next point: your one-use power. Just say ‘Lucky Charm’ and throw your yoyo into the air. Well- don’t throw it, I mean, you still need to hold on to it, but I think you know what I mean. It gives you an object that you can use to help you out. I’ll let you know when it’s time to use it.”

            “Okay.” Ladybug nodded, even though she was still completely lost.

            “There he is! Stop here.” Chat pointed to a person dressed in all metal.

            Ladybug watched as a metal lamppost twisted and bent, merging with another lump of metal. The lump glowed red, then formed a moving robot. The man laughed cruelly.

            “My robots aren’t good enough?” He spat spitefully. “I’ll show them!” He jumped on top of the new robot, cackling evilly as it carried him away.

            “Where’s he going?” Ladybug asked curiously.

            “I don’t know. But… there was a robotics competition today; maybe we should check back at the school.” Chat Noir said thoughtfully.

            “Okay.” The duo ran back to the school and arrived just in time to see two more robots smash down the front wall of the building. Both were composed of random objects such as car doors, park benches, and street signs.

            “Hello,” the robot man said menacingly. “My name is Metal Man, and I’d like to enter the robotics competition.”

            A fearful, bespectacled professor in a sweater vest started backing up. “I-I’m sorry, the competition is c-closed.”

            “Hmmm….” Metal Man’s face filled with malice. “Well, then.” A large robotic eagle dived toward the professor with a click of Metal Man’s remote. Chat leapt from the rooftop and shoved the professor out of the way of the angry metal bird. Ladybug jumped from the building at the same time Chat did, miraculously landing on her feet. She looked down at the ground in awe. She’d just _jumped_ off of a _building._ _And she’d landed on her feet_. She smiled a little bit. Maybe she was crazy, but she kind of liked this superhero stuff.

             “Ah, Ladybug and Chat Noir.” Metal Man clicked his remote and two robots came from behind and grabbed them.

            Ladybug gasped and struggled to break free from the robot’s grasp. Hands made from kitchen utensils held fast to her arms, keeping her in one place. What was she going to do to escape? She shouldn’t have agreed to do this. Now she was being held hostage by an evil robot and a supervillain was going to hurt people. She watched frightfully as Metal Man continued to form and direct robots.

            Metal Man turned to the professor, and summoned another robot to capture him as well. “My robots are innovative creations that will change the world. Once I can prove it, I’ll be the worldwide robotics champion.” He laughed. “And as for Ladybug and Chat Noir…” Metal Man manipulated metal from all around the school: music stands and instruments, silverware from the lunchroom, pieces of chairs and desks, scissor blades, and more. He used his remote to effortlessly manipulate the metal until he had formed four people-sized robots. “Henchmen, take their Miraculouses and then finish them off.” He ordered. “I’m going to go change the world.” He laughed again and stalked off, an army of robots with him.

            The four henchmen came toward Ladybug and Chat Noir, ready to retrieve the earrings and ring.

            “Ladybug!” Chat yelled. “Hang on for just a second! I’ll free you! CATACLYSM!” Black magic emanated from Chat’s hand as he placed it on the arm of his robot. Ladybug watched as his robot collapsed into a pile of rusty rubbish, and Chat landed on his feet. He smashed Ladybug’s robot with his staff, having exhausted his one-use power, and she fell, shaking, to the ground.

            “You okay, m’lady?” Chat Noir helped his partner up. “Looks like I made scrap metal out of those guys. Now come on, I only have five minutes before I detransform.”

            Metal Man hadn’t gotten very far. It took less than a minute for the heroes to catch up to him.

            Robots were forming everywhere, demolishing anything they could and terrorizing everyone. It was like a scene from a science fiction movie: robots everywhere, reality seeming to warp as objects flew apart by an invisible force, twisting and crumpling on their own.

            “Ladybug, I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Chat said urgently as they watched the chaos unfold. “Keep watch here, keep people safe, do your best, but be careful. If you break the remote, don’t forget to purify the akuma by capturing it with your yoyo.”

            “Okay,” Ladybug nodded. “But hurry. I don’t know how much I can do alone.”

            Chat smiled warmly “M’Lady, you can do anything. I believe in you.” He patted her shoulder and sprinted away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! Sorry I haven't updated in soooo long; I'm a terrible human. Feel free to throw things at me. I've been suuuperr busy with our school musical, but IT's ALL OVER NOW! :D I'll finally update regularly again, and I have 2 or 3 new fics to upload, and I'm always writing more ;) ily guys, have a good day!


	12. Chapter 12

Ladybug looked down at Metal Man. How could she get that remote? Then she remembered what Chat had told her. She could use her superpower! Lucky Charm, right?  
            She called upon her power and caught a large bottle of orange soda pop in her arms. She examined it carefully, confused. What the heck was she supposed to do with _this_? A bottle of soda? In what world could that ever be helpful? Then, she saw the world in black and white. She stumbled back, confused. The soda flashed red with black spots. So did Metal Man’s remote and robot. She gasped in realization.

            She swung from the building, vigorously shaking the bottle as she went. Once in front of the supervillain, she popped open the cap, releasing the bubbly orange liquid that shot out, splashing all over Metal Man.

            He covered his face against the dying stream of soda and dropped his remote, which was sticky, soaked, and ruined. All robots collapsed, having lost connection to the remote. Ladybug smiled proudly as she stood on a ledge and used her yoyo as a lasso, snagging the remote before it could hit the ground.

            “NOOO!” Bellowed Metal Man as Ladybug snapped the remote. She captured and purified the akuma, and threw the empty soda bottle into the air. She wasn’t given instructions, but somehow she knew what to do. Just as everything began to return to normal with a swarm of magical ladybugs, Chat Noir ran back onto the scene.

            “Ladybug, you did it! You did it!” He cried out as he grabbed her by the waist and spun her in the air, pulling her in for a kiss.

            Ladybug was shocked, but kissed him back. Her mind cleared, and she pushed back, gasping.

            “I remember!” she exclaimed. “I remember everything!” Everything made sense again, the missing puzzle pieces fitted together to form one clear, beautiful picture full of detail and color. Everything came back at once with the kiss. Then she realized the full details of the situation.

            “What?” she gasped, a hand at her mouth. “You-you’re Adrien! And I just-” she gasped again and her face turned redder than her superhero costume.

            “Hey.” Chat Noir grasped her hands. “Marinette, it’s okay.”

            “And you know who I am!” her beautiful blue eyes were full of panic.

            “M’Lady, please calm down.” Chat sat down with Ladybug on the edge of the building. “It’s okay. It had to happen sometime. It just happened now. There was no other choice. It’s all over with now. Calm down. It’s not like I’m going to go out opening my mouth and telling the whole world, right?”

            Ladybug sighed and nodded. “I- I guess so. It’s just a lot to take in.”

            “Yeah, I get that. Now, you’d better hurry on home; your Miraculous is running low.” Chat helped his partner stand up.

            “Yeah. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow? At school?” The words seemed strange. Seeing Chat Noir at school was definitely something she was going to have to get used to.

            “Until tomorrow, m’lady.”

            Ladybug smiled, and got back home as quickly as she could.


	13. Chapter 13 (Final Chapter)

Marinette opened the door to the bakery and saw Alya, Nathanaël, and her parents anxiously waiting inside.

            “Marinette! You’re okay!” The group crowded Marinette.

            She hugged them all and took a step back. “I have some good news." She smiled at the group of people that she loved dearly.  "I remember everything. I don’t know what happened, but it all came back.”

            “Really?” Alya hugged her friend again. “Are you sure?”

            “Everything.” She grinned, and everyone hugged her again.

“Thank goodness!” cried Sabine.

Marinette smiled warmly, then glanced at Nathanaël, her smile wavering slightly. His blue-green eyes were so happy, and she didn't want to upset him. But...she needed to tell him the truth. "But could I maybe talk to you for a moment?"

Nathanaël stood. “Of course.” He followed Marinette upstairs and to the balcony.

            “Nath…” Marinette spoke quietly, watching the slowly drifting clouds in the blue sky. “I wanted to thank you. For staying by my side and helping me remember. It means a lot to me, you caring like that. You stood up for me when Chloé was being mean, and you did everything you could to help me remember and understand what was going on.” She turned and looked straight into the ginger boy’s blue-green eyes. “Thank you. But…” she looked down at her feet. “I think we should just be friends.” She glanced back up. "I mean, I really, really do appreciate everything you did, and I'll never stop being your friend. Over this time, I've come to trust you so much and you mean a lot to me. But...I have feelings for someone else. I did before, and now that it's all over, they all came back, and..." she frowned. "I'm so sorry."

            Nathanaël smiled sadly. “I kinda figured you wouldn’t choose me over him. It was too good to be true. It always has been and always will be just a dream. I guess we’re not meant to be together.” he shrugged. "I know he loves you too, Marinette. He'll be good to you. As long as you're happy...then I'm happy."

Marinette smiled. “Thank you for understanding. It really does mean a lot to me, that you stayed by my side through all of this.” The two walked silently back to the trapdoor.

             “Of course.” Just before he was about to leave, Nathanaël turned back toward Marinette. He kissed her gently on the cheek. “But I’ll never stop loving you.” He whispered. “Let me know if you ever change your mind. But until that day comes, or _if_ it does, I’ll still be by your side as your friend. If that’s okay.”

            Marinette nodded and Nathanaël left. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

            And after that, everything was the way it was meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you liked this fanfiction! I have other fanfictions on my Wattpad, FickleFangirl, but they're old and not as good as this one so I probably won't put them here...I'll add a one-shot here soon, and I'm currently in the middle of writing several other fanfictions. See you soon! -Katia


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